[Dev Avidon]

I own a set of TRIPS, and very much enjoy them, but I'm finding that they pop in and out of my ear canal when I sing at gigs, and so I'm looking to upgrade to some silicon based customs, both for work and to brave the L train at rush hour. Anyone have any experience/opinions/alternatives to the Sensaphonic 3max for something like this? Noise Isolation, fit/seal and stability in ear (no popping in and out) are top priority, but I do want to be able to use them for personal listening as well, so they need to sound at least as good as my TRIPS. I perform and primarily listen to jazz and jazz-rock fusion, and prize neutrality, clarity and detail above all else.

Thanks to all,
Dev

 

[average_joe]

Here is the list of custom IEM manufacturers.
 
There are plenty of choices depending on the sound signature you want in addition to Sensaphoincs such as ACS, Spiral Ear, Kozee, Minerva, and Puretone Music.  Sensaphonics is the only manufacturer with a detachable cable.
 
What is your price range?  I know the Spiral Ear SE 5-way reference has everything you are looking for!

 

[Dev Avidon]

Quote:

Here is the list of custom IEM manufacturers.
 
There are plenty of choices depending on the sound signature you want in addition to Sensaphoincs such as ACS, Spiral Ear, Kozee, Minerva, and Puretone Music.  Sensaphonics is the only manufacturer with a detachable cable.
 
What is your price range?  I know the Spiral Ear SE 5-way reference has everything you are looking for!

Wow...this is AWESOME.  How did I miss this?
 
Ok, so here's the thing.  I really want to invest in one of the JH-3A setups as my primary home listening setup (oddly enough).  The more I hear and experiment, the more I seem to come to the conclusion that I like the imaging, detail, comfort and flexibility of custom IEMs enough to obviate the need for full-size phones for me (at least until I can invest in an electrostatic rig).  The problem is that it's not a portable enough setup for me to use for work or take on the train.  Hence the need for a work set.
 
My wallet is definitely NOT happy with me, but honestly, I really want to do this once and do it right, and not have to think about it again for a while, so basically what it costs, it costs.  I definitely want to go for as neutral, analytical, clean and detailed a sound as I can get (maybe even what some would consider a "clinical" sound).  Not only is that the sound signature I prefer, but it's also what I need in terms of these for work, as I'm going to use them both for live-performance and for live-recording of classical and jazz ensembles where I'm using a Jecklin disc or Blumlein pair type setup, and I need as accurate a sense of the mix as possible, enough extension on both ends of the spectrum to hear any subsonic or high frequency issues, and as much isolation as I can get so I know what I'm hearing is the mix, and nothing but the mix. 
 
Those SE-5s are PRICEY...but man do they look nice.  With that added info, do you think they stack up well for me?
 

 

[average_joe]

I hear ya on the IEM vs. headphone thing...I prefer the ease of use of customs and headphones just didn't do it for me from the standpoints you mentioned until I heard the LCD-2 and Tesla T1 as they image very well and have great detail and comfort.  However, I still find myself gravitating to the customs even though they don't sound quite as good overall.  
 
Enter the 5-way...it is giving my LCD-2 a run for it's money!  But I wouldn't say they sound analytical or clinical, but they are very very neutral with great detail.  I can hear test tones up to 18.5K, which might be the upper limit of my hearing and bass all the way down.  

 

[Dev Avidon]

Hmmm...and the isolation is as good as the Sensaphonics?  There are few things in life a 37db pad can't fix...

 

 

[average_joe]

That one I can't answer, but it might be worth asking Grzegorz that question.